2024 Fantasy Football IDP Rankings and Tiers Breakdown: Defensive Linemen

Jul 28, 2024

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Draft Season is quickly approaching, so it's time to get our minds right, ducks in a row, and tiers in order. Rankings are useful, but as you likely know, breaking those rankings out into tiers is essential for when you're on the clock. Tiers help you understand when to ignore a positional run and when to jump in.

I'm relatively new to the IDP space, but I've been creating weekly tackle projections for a few years, and it's changed how I understand and watch football. Now, I'm here on the fantasy side of things, here to expand on the edge that our betting subscribers have exploited with me over the past few seasons.

More IDP Rankings & Tier Breakdowns: Linebackers | Defensive Back

Your strategy for approaching defensive linemen at the top of an IDP draft can vary depending on your scoring system and the position's roster requirements. Also, these rankings can change if your league groups interior defensive linemen with defensive ends/EDGE rushers or treats them as two separate positions

The answers to these questions can massively impact how you approach an IDP draft, but in any format, the top-tier EDGE rushers are the most bankable commodity in the game. Whether it's offensive only or IDP, opportunity is the golden goose of all fantasy scoring. Still, I'd argue that skill, a player's ability to beat the player or players in front of them, matters more with EDGE rusher than any other position in fantasy, outside of quarterback.

For example, if a bell-cow running back or all-world linebacker goes down with an injury, someone is likely available to provide 80-90% of that player's fantasy output, and in some cases, that replacement player is available on the waiver wire.

If Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards goes down with an injury, Jack Sanborn steps in and is a borderline top-12 linebacker while Edwards is out. On the other hand, if teammate Montez Sweat misses time, there's no one there to replace his skill set. Sure, someone will go from a rotational player to playing starter-level snaps, but that alone won't propel them into a viable fantasy role.

Because of this, there's significantly less turnover among the best defensive linemen IDPs year to year than in any other position. The players in the top tiers below possess an unmatched floor and upside, and you should make it a priority to leave your draft with a top-tier EDGE rusher.

Don't forget to check out the IDP Primer, which is worth reading regardless of your IDP experience!